Heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger may include a collector and a connecting pipe. The collector may include at least one insertion opening. The connecting pipe may be inserted in the at least one insertion opening. The connecting pipe may include at least one bulge projecting radially to the outside. The at least one bulge may form a stop of the connecting pipe in an insertion direction in the at least one insertion opening. The at least one bulge may indicate a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the at least one insertion opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2021 205 518.4 filed on May 31, 2021, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a collector with an insertion opening into which a connecting pipe can be inserted. The invention additionally relates to an internal combustion engine to a fuel cell or an air-conditioner having such a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND

Refrigerant-conducting heat exchangers, in particular in air-conditioning devices of motor vehicles are usually connected via non-releasable connections to so-called connecting pipes for the supply with refrigerant. There, the ends of these connecting pipes are equipped with a releasable connecting system and are located, other than for example the air-conditioning system, in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle. In order to be able to make possible a connection between the connecting pipe and the heat exchanger or a collector of the same that is as simple as possible and tight at the same time as well as a simple production of the heat exchanger, a certain minimum distance in the case of heat exchangers with a lateral connecting pipe is necessary between a heat exchanger block, in particular a heat exchanger element of the same and the connecting pipe in order to be able to install and remove soldering aids and seal the heat exchanger on the air side.

SUMMARY

The present invention therefore deals with the problem of stating a heat exchanger which makes possible in particular a simplified production.

According to the invention, this problem is solved through the subject of the independent Claim(s). Advantageous embodiments are subject of the dependent claim(s).

The present invention is based on the general idea of forming a connecting pipe for a collector of a heat exchanger in the manner of a key while an associated insertion opening on the collector into which the connecting pipe is tightly inserted during the assembly is configured in the manner of a lock, so that an installation position of the connecting pipe or the free ends of the same in the insertion opening is enforced or indicated in a predefined position. The heat exchanger according to the invention has a header which can basically also be designed as a distributor, having at least one insertion opening into which the connecting pipe can be inserted or is inserted. On the connecting pipe or on the free end of the same, a bulge protruding radially to the outside is provided, which indicates or predetermines both a stop of the connecting pipe in the insertion direction in the insertion opening and also a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the insertion opening. With an insertion opening configured in such a manner and a connecting pipe configured in such a manner it is thus possible to achieve an unambiguous predefined installation position which makes possible a reliable, tight and high-quality connecting of the connecting pipe with the collector of the heat exchanger.

In an advantageous further development of the heat exchanger according to the invention, a marking is provided on the insertion opening which with the bulge of the connecting pipe arranged in the axial direction thereto, indicates a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the insertion opening. Thus, the bulge makes possible on the one hand a stop in the axial direction and thus a haptic detecting of an installation end position in the axial direction, while the marking on the insertion opening makes possible an angle-of-rotation orientation into a predefined angle-of-rotation position. Here, the connecting pipe is oriented correctly with respect to its angle-of-rotation position when the marking on the insertion opening and the bulge on the connecting pipe are in alignment in the axial direction (based on the axial direction of the insertion opening and the connecting pipe respectively). This offers the major advantage that merely on the connecting pipe shaping means, namely in the manner of at least one bulge, have to be provided while on the insertion opening merely a marking that can be easily applied has to be provided. Obviously, the marking cannot only be painted on but for example also stamped in or engraved. The latter offers in particular the advantage that the same will not be lot even after a long period of time and can be easily located again during repair work.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the invention, a recess formed complementarily to the bulge is provided on the insertion opening, wherein with the connecting pipe correctly installed in the insertion opening, the bulge engages in the recess and positions the connecting pipe in a predefined angle-of-rotation position in the insertion opening. In this case, the bulge thus forms a key, while the recess on the insertion opening forms an associated lock, so that when the bulge engages in the recess, i.e. the key in the lock, an unambiguous predefined axial position and angle-of-rotation position are enforced.

Practically, the collector comprises two insertion openings, in which an associated connecting pipe each can be inserted. In order to be able to achieve an unambiguous allocation of the connecting pipes to the respective associated insertion opening, different bulges each can be provided on both connecting pipes, while associated and also different markings or recesses each are provided on the two insertion openings. By way of this, an unambiguous predefined installation position of the one connecting pipe is possible only in the associated one insertion opening while a predefined installation position of the other connecting pipe is only possible in the associated other insertion opening. By way of this, a type of encoding of the connecting pipes and of the associated insertion openings in the manner of a poka-yoke system is possible, as a result of which in particular an incorrect assembly can be reliably avoided. This makes possible producing the heat exchanger according to the invention even using simple workers.

Practically, the collector comprises openings oriented parallel to the at least one insertion opening, in which tubes are tightly incorporated, wherein between the tubes heat exchanger elements are arranged. The header with the tubes and the heat exchanger elements forms a kind of heat exchanger block of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger elements in the intermediate spaces of the tubes, which are formed for example as flat tubes, are usually flowed through by air, as a result of which a heat transfer of the refrigerant present in the tubes and the collector and an outside air is made possible. Here, the heat exchanger elements can be designed for example as corrugated fins.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the connecting pipe in the installed state does not comprise a bulge directed in the direction of an adjacent tube or an adjacent heat exchanger element. This makes possible enlarging an installation space present between the outermost heat exchanger element and the connecting pipe, wherein in this installation space for example a soldering plate and clips have to be installed for soldering the heat exchanger. Through the enlarged installation space of the heat exchanger according to the invention because of the bulge absent on the connecting pipe in the direction of the outermost corrugated fins or of the outermost heat exchanger element, a clear simplification of the production process is thus achieved. By way of this, a cost reduction can also be achieved.

In heat exchangers to date, connecting pipes were often inserted with a circumferential bead or a circumferential angular bead directed radially to the outside but which had the disadvantage of not only reducing an installation space between the adjacent corrugated fin or the adjacent heat exchanger element and the connecting pipe and thus rendering introducing soldering plates or clips more difficult, but such angular beads also did not offer any possibility of at least indicating a predefined and desired angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the insertion opening or enforcing such via a positive locking connection such as for example through at least one bulge engaging in an associated recess.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the invention, the collector is closed off on the longitudinal end side by a blade inserted into a further insertion opening. By way of this, a comparatively simple closure of the collector on the longitudinal end side is possible by merely sliding the blade into the associated insertion opening which can be formed in the manner of a passage similar to that for the flat tubes. The collector, the tubes, the heat exchanger elements and the blade can be soldered or bonded to one another, i.e. tightly connected to one another in a firmly bonded manner. By way of this, a mechanical prefabrication and a subsequent firmly bonded sealing in a soldering oven can be achieved.

The present invention is based, further, on the general idea of equipping an internal combustion engine, a fuel cell or an air-conditioning system with a heat exchanger described in the preceding paragraphs. By way of this, a simple and precise assembly of the heat exchanger can be achieved in particular. In particular, a more cost-effective manufacture of the internal combustion engine, of the air-condition system or of the fuel cell and thus also of a motor vehicle equipped with such is also possible.

Further important features and advantages of the invention are obtained from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated figure description by way of the drawings.

It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and still to be explained in the following cannot only be used in the respective combination stated but also in other combinations or by themselves without leaving the scope of the present invention.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein same reference numbers relate to same or similar or functionally same components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It shows, in each case schematically,

FIG. 1 shows an inclined view of a heat exchanger according to the invention having a collector, two insertion openings and two associated connecting pipes and markings on the insertion openings,

FIG. 2 shows a lateral view of a heat exchanger according to the invention having a collector, an insertion opening and a connecting pipe inserted therein, which with its bulges engages in associated recesses on the insertion opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to FIG. 2 , a heat exchanger 1 according to the invention comprises a collector 2 with an insertion opening 3, into which an associated connecting pipe 4 can be inserted. According to FIG. 1 , the heat exchanger 1 comprises a collector 2 with two insertion openings 3 and 3 a, into which an associated connecting pipe 4 and 4 a respectively can be inserted. The connecting pipe 4 in this case is referred to as first connecting pipe while the associated insertion opening 3 is referred to as first insertion opening 3. The second insertion opening has the reference number 3 a, while the associated second connecting pipe has the reference number 4 a.

On the connecting pipe 4 or on the connecting pipes 4, 4 a at least one bulge 5, 5′ each projecting or protruding radially to the outside is provided, which forms both a stop of the respective connecting pipe 4, 4 a in the insertion direction 6, which corresponds to the axial direction 7, in the associated insertion opening 3, 3 a but also predetermines or indicates a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the respective connecting pipe 4, 4 a in the associated insertion opening 3, 3 a.

In accordance with the embodiment according to FIG. 1 , at least one marking 8, 8′ each belonging to at least one associated bulge 5, 5′ on the respective connecting pipe 4, 4 a are/is arranged on the insertion opening 3 and 3 a respectively, which with the bulge 5, 5′ of the connecting pipe 4, 4 a arranged in the axial direction 7 thereto indicates a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe 4, 4 a in the associated insertion opening 3, 3 a. When, thus, the bulge 5 of the connecting pipe 4 is in alignment with the associated marking 8 on the associated insertion opening 3 in the axial direction 7, a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe 4 in the associated insertion opening 3 is thus achieved. For this purpose, at least one bulge 5 is required on the connecting pipe 4 and an associated marking 8 on the insertion opening 3.

Viewing, by contrast, the embodiment according to FIG. 2 , recesses 9, 9′ formed complementarily to the bulges 5, 5′ of the connecting pipe 4 are provided here on the insertion opening 3 wherein with the connecting pipe 4 correctly installed in the insertion opening 3 the bulge 5 or the bulges 5, 5′ engages/engage in the associated recess 9 or in the associated recesses 9, 9′ and thereby position/s the connecting pipe 4 in a predefined angle-of-rotation position in the insertion opening 3. Between the respective bulge 5, 5′ and the associated recess 9, 9′ a positive connection is achieved here which exclusively permits a single angle-of-rotation installation position.

Looking once more at the embodiment according to FIG. 1 , differently formed connecting pipes 4, 4 a can also be used at the two insertion openings 3, 3 a, wherein for excluding a confusion of the bulges 5, 5′ on the connecting pipe 4 are arranged differently to the bulges 5, 5′ on the connecting pipe 4 a. Analogously to this, the markings 8, 8′ here are arranged on the two insertion openings 3, 3 a in a different place. Likewise analogously to this, the embodiment would also work with the associated recesses 9, 9′. Through the different arrangement of the bulges 5, 5′ on the associated connecting pipe 4, 4 a, different keys for different locks (insertion openings 3, 3 a with markings 8, 8′ or recesses 9, 9′) can be created which reliably exclude an incorrect assembly for example of the connecting pipe 4 in the insertion opening 3 a and because of this make possible a high-quality manufacture which can also be performed by less qualified workers.

Viewing FIG. 1 further, it is noticeable that the collector 2 comprises openings 10, for example passages 10 a oriented parallel to the insertion opening 3, 3 a, in which tubes 11, for example flat tubes 11 a, are tightly incorporated, wherein between the tubes 11 heat exchanger elements 12, for example corrugated fins 12 a, are arranged. In order to be able to keep a space 13, for example an assembly space, between the outermost corrugated fin 12 a and the connecting pipe 4, 4 a as large as possible, the connecting pipe 4, 4 a in the installed state does not have any bulge 5 directed in the direction of the adjacent tube 11 or flat tube 11 a or an adjacent heat exchanger element 12 or an adjacent corrugated fin 12 a. Because of this it is possible to easily arrange in the space 13 components required for producing the heat exchanger 1, such as for example clips 14 or soldering plates 15. Through the enlarged distance between the connecting pipe 4 and the heat exchanger element 12, i.e. the space 13 enlarged here, installing the clip 14 or the soldering plates 15 in particular can be significantly simplified.

Viewing FIG. 1 once more, it is noticeable that the collector 2 on the longitudinal end side is closed off by a blade 17, 17 a inserted into a further insertion opening 16, 16 a. Here, the collector 2 according to FIG. 1 has two pipes and thus two insertion openings 16, 16 a and two associated blades 17, 17 a. Here, the collector 2, the tubes 11, the heat exchanger elements 12 and the blades 17 are soldered or bonded to one another and thus tightly connected to one another.

The heat exchanger 1 according to the invention can be employed for example in an internal combustion engine 18, a fuel cell 19 or an air-conditioning system 20.

All in all, a space 13, in particular an installation space, can be enlarged with the heat exchanger 1 according to the invention between the respective connecting pipe 4, 4 a and the next adjacent heat exchanger element 12, which significantly simplifies the assembly, in particular the installing of clips 14 or soldering plates 15. By way of the bulge 5, 5′ and the associated marking 8, 8′ and the associated recess 9, 9′ respectively, a twisting of the connecting pipe 4, 4 a in the insertion opening 3, 3 a can be additionally avoided or an accurate alignment with respect to an angle-of-rotation position simplified. Through different positions of the bulges 5, 5′ on the outer circumference of the respective connecting pipe 4, 4 a but also through a different size of the same, a switching, i.e. inserting for example the connecting pipe 4 into the insertion opening 3 a, can also be reliably excluded with otherwise same end forms of the connecting pipe 4, by way of which a type of poka-yoke system can be created which promotes a high-quality manufacture. 

1. A heat exchanger, comprising: a collector including at least one insertion opening; and a connecting pipe inserted in the at least one insertion opening; wherein the connecting pipe includes at least one bulge projecting radially to an outside, such that the at least one bulge forms a stop of the connecting pipe in an insertion direction in the at least one insertion opening and indicates a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the at least one insertion opening.
 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one insertion opening includes a marking; and when the at least one bulge of the connecting pipe is aligned in an axial direction with the marking, the marking indicates the predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the at least one insertion opening.
 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: the insertion opening includes a recess formed complementarily to the at least one bulge; and when the connecting pipe is correctly installed in the at least one insertion opening, the at least one bulge engages the recess and positions the connecting pipe in the predefined angle-of-rotation position in the at least one insertion opening.
 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of connecting pipes including the connecting pipe, wherein: the at least one insertion opening includes at least two insertion openings, into which an associated connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes is insertable; and the at least one bulges of a first connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes and the at least one bulge of a second connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes are at least one of (i) arranged in different locations and (ii) different sizes.
 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tubes and a plurality of heat exchanger elements, wherein: the collector further includes two openings oriented parallel to the at least one insertion opening; a tubes of the plurality of tubes is tightly incorporated in each of the two openings; and the plurality of heat exchanger elements are arranged between the plurality of tubes.
 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of flat tubes and a plurality of corrugated fins, wherein: the collector further includes two passages oriented parallel to the at least one insertion opening; a flat tubes of the plurality of flat tubes is tightly incorporated in each of the two passages; and the plurality of corrugated fins are arranged between the plurality of flat tubes.
 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the connecting pipe in an installed state does not include any bulge directed in a direction of at least one of an adjacent tube of the plurality of tubes and an adjacent heat exchanger element of the plurality of heat exchanger elements.
 8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the collector, on a longitudinal end side, is closed off by at least one blade inserted into at least one further insertion opening of the collector.
 9. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein: the collector, on a longitudinal end side, is closed off by at least one blade inserted into at least one further insertion opening of the collector; and the collector, the plurality of tubes, the plurality of heat exchanger elements, and the at least one blade are at least one of soldered and bonded to one another.
 10. An internal combustion engine, a fuel cell, or an air-conditioning system comprising a heat exchanger including: a collector including at least one insertion opening; and a connecting pipe inserted in the at least one insertion opening; wherein the connecting pipe includes at least one bulge projecting radially to an outside such that the at least one bulge forms a stop of the connecting pipe in an insertion direction in the at least one insertion opening and indicates a predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the at least one insertion opening.
 11. The internal combustion engine, the fuel cell, or the air-conditioning system of claim 10, wherein: the at least one insertion opening includes a marking; and when the at least one bulge of the connecting pipe is aligned in an axial direction with the marking, the marking indicates the predefined angle-of-rotation position of the connecting pipe in the at least one insertion opening.
 12. The internal combustion engine, the fuel cell, or the air-conditioning system of claim 10, wherein: the at least one insertion opening incudes a recess formed complimentarily to the at least one bulge; and when the connecting pipe is correctly installed in the at least one insertion opening, the at least one bulge engages the recess and positions the connecting pipe in the predefined angle-of-rotation position in the at least one insertion opening.
 13. The internal combustion engine, the fuel cell, or the air-conditioning system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of connecting pipes including the connecting pipe, wherein: the at least one insertion opening includes at least two insertion openings into which an associated connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes is insertable; and the at least one bulge of the first connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes and the at least one bulge of a second connecting pipe of the plurality of connecting pipes are at least one of (i) arranged in different locations and (ii) different sizes.
 14. A heat exchanger, comprising: a collector including a plurality of insertion openings that each have at least one marking; a plurality of connecting pipes that are each inserted in an associated insertion opening of the plurality of insertion openings; and wherein the plurality of connecting pipes each include at least one bulge projecting radially outward therefrom, the at least one bulge (i) contacting the collector and restricting further insertion of the respective connecting pipe into the associated insertion opening and (ii) arranged to align with the at least one marking of the associated insertion opening relative to an axial direction when the respective collecting pipe is disposed in the associated insertion opening at a predefined angle-of-rotation position.
 15. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein: the plurality of insertion openings each further include at least one recess formed complementarily to the at least one bulge; and the at least one bulge engages the at least one recess and positions the respective connecting pipe within the associated insertion opening at the predefined angle-of-rotation position when the respective connecting pipe is correctly installed.
 16. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, further comprising a plurality of tubes and a plurality of heat exchanger elements, wherein: the collector further includes two openings oriented parallel to the plurality of insertion openings; a tube of the plurality of tubes is tightly arranged in each of the two openings; and the plurality of heat exchanger elements are arranged between the plurality of tubes.
 17. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein: the plurality of tubes are configured as a plurality of flat tubes; and the plurality of heat exchanger elements are configured as a plurality of corrugated fins.
 18. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein the at least one bulge does not project from the respective connecting pipe toward at least one of (i) an adjacent tube of the plurality of tubes and (ii) an adjacent heat exchanger element of the plurality of heat exchanger elements when the respective connecting pipe is disposed in the associated insertion opening at the predefined angle-of-rotation position.
 19. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, further comprising at least one blade, wherein: the collector further includes at least one further insertion opening disposed at a longitudinal end side; and the at least one blade is arranged in the at least one further insertion opening and closes off the longitudinal end side of the collector.
 20. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein: the collector further includes a plurality of collars projecting therefrom; and the plurality of collars each extend around a perimeter of one of the plurality of insertion openings. 